The Great Betrayal and Great Deception

Since the late 19^th and early 20^th century there was a growing awareness among the depressed classes in India. They raised their voice for legitimate rights and social equality which they had been denied over the years. The British government, under pressure of Indian national movement initiated a constitutional form to accommodate Indians and various representative bodies.

Morley – Minto Reform Act of 1909 made provisions for separate electorate for the Muslims. The claim of the untouchables (Dalits) was that they are a separate community therefore should get the right to elect their own representative. On February 20, 1929 Mr. B. C. Mandal of all India depressed classes conference, in Madras said that the so-called patriots of India demand political rights, but they are not ready to give social rights to their own countrymen.

Many leaders of the depressed classes felt they should also demand reservation of seats for their representation in the legislative bodies. To address the issue the British government called a Round Table Conference in London.

Swami Achhutanand Maharaj and Babu Manguram Manguwalia fought for the rights of the untouchables, and they sent Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar as their representative to the Round Table Conference. Mahatma Gandhi claimed that he was the leader of the untouchables; however, the British accepted Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar the representative of the untouchables.

Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar fought this battle in a very logical manner and gave many such arguments which proved that the untouchables are a separate community. On August 15, 1932, British government formalized distinct electorates. After protracted talks at the 2^nd Round Table Conference Ramsay MacDonald, British Prime Minister issued a communal award which established a separate electorate for Dalits, Muslims, Anglo Indians, Christians and Europeans. In this award 71 seats in the parliament were to be reserved for the depressed classes. In these seats only the depressed classes were allowed to vote to elect their representatives. In the open seats depressed class members were also allowed to vote which allowed double voting for the members of the depressed class.

Mahatma Gandhi opposed the communal award. According to him this will vivisect the Hindu religion. He started a fast unto death in Yarwada jail. Although he fasted only for 4 days a great drama was played that his life is under threat, if he dies it is going to lead to a bloodshed of depressed classes/Dalits. Pressure was put on Dr. Ambedkar to not accept the communal award. Dr. Ambedkar, a highly educated and informed person, was conned by Mahatma Gandhi who was a communal (Bania) leader. Dr. Ambedkar was promised reservation for 147 seats in the parliament instead of 71; however, in the seats everybody will vote. Some other benefits were promised. Under great pressure Dr. Ambedkar let in and signed The Poona Pact. The Poona Pact turned the underprivileged section of the society into political pawns that Hindu caste organization could employ to their advantage.

Mahatma Gandhi did not sign the pact, instead he chose a Brahman named Madan Mohan Malviya to sign it. In this pact Brahman /Bania coalition outsmarted Dr. Ambedkar and made all Dalits Hindus forever. Which meant that they bought Dalits to be subservient to upper-class community forever.

The upshot was that impoverished classes were compelled to accept the status quo in the domain of politics, ideologies and cultures, and were unable to establish independent and sincere leadership to challenge the Brahmanical system. It refused to acknowledge the Dalits as a separate element in the country preempting the rights and protections for directs in the Constitution of independent India.

Gandhi had said that he is ready to give reservation in jobs and political reservation in proportion to the numbers, one takes reservation but do not break the Hindu religion.

The effect of the Poona Pact between Congress and Dr. Ambedkar is that if Congress is ready to give Dalits reservation i.e. safe seats in education, jobs and politics, then Dalits are ready to become Hindus.

Speaking in support of the resolution confirming the Poona Pact, Dr. Ambedkar was greeted with cheers when he rose, declared:

“I believe it is no exaggeration for me to say that no man a few days ago was placed in a greater dilemma than I was. There was the life of the greatest man in India to be saved. There was also for me the problem of trying and safeguarding the interests of the community which I was in my humble way trying to do at the Round Table Conference. Part of the credit must be attributed to Mahatma Gandhi himself. I must confess that I was immensely surprised, when I met him, that there was so much in common between him.”

On May 15, 1936, Dr. Ambedkar published a book Annihilation of Cast. This was the speech he wrote to be given at a conference in Lahore; however, he did not attend the conference with some disagreement with the organization that disinvited him. In this book he states that he was born a Hindu but will not die a Hindu. He will change his religion, but he was not going to change to a religion that would hurt the Hindus. He will not accept Islam or Christianity because they have the foreign origin. He had promised Gandhi that he would adopt such a religion which would cause the least harm to Hindus.

Dr. Ambedkar made a pact with Dr. Munje a leader of Hindu Mahan Sabha that he was going to become a Sikh. After this, Dr. Munje sent the documents of that pact to Mahatma Gandhi which he received and published in the Bombay Chronicle magazine on August 8, 1936.

Dr. Ambedkar had made complete preparations to adopt Sikhism, but Gandhi clearly refused to accept. According to him, if you (Dr. Ambedkar) become a Sikh we will not give you the rights of reservation decided by the Poona Pact and because of this Dr. Ambedkar gave up the idea of adopting Sikhism under pressure from Mahatma Gandhi and Congress.

Gandhi was afraid that if the Dalits became Sikhs, they would wear arms and will become a problem for the rest of the Hindus. He was willing to accept only if Sikhs can declare themselves Hindus.

A great deception by Mahatma Gandhi and a great betrayal by Dr. Ambedkar has sealed the fate of low cast people in India for ever. The Dalits are now low-class Hindus forever. To get the benefits of Poona Pact Dalits must sign a paper and accept to be low cast.

Manuvadi-thinking has prevailed, and the Dalits have been cheated by the leader they trusted. Dr. Ambedkar never called a meeting of the Dalit leaders of his time to make this decision. He was not able to stand pressure put on him by high-class Brahman/Bania coalition. They threatened him that if Mr. Gandhi died there would be bloodshed and hundreds of thousands of Dalits would be killed.

To continue the betrayal and deception a narrative has been built that Dr. Ambedkar was a great leader of the Dalits and he wrote the Constitution which guarantees the benefits to the low cast. Dalits keep on believing this nonsense. Dr. Ambedkar ran for election to be a member of Parliament and was defeated. He was defeated again the 2^nd time when he ran for another by election. Even though seats are reserved for the Dalits most of the voters belong to the upper class. If you are their stooge, you can be elected. As a frustrated and defeated Dr.

Ambedkar, being a member of Raj Sabha (upper house) even said that this Constitution doesn’t serve anybody, and he will be the first one to burn it.

Dr. Ambedkar also made Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs as Hindus in article 25. Sikh representative Sirdar Hukam Singh and Sirdar Bhupinder Singh Mann argued very strongly that they are not Hindus, but Dr. Ambedkar did not accept any evidence and remain firm on his definition. Sikh representatives never signed this Constitution; however, according to Indian Constitution they are included in Hindus. This is the contribution of Dr. Ambedkar to the Sikhs.

Dr. Ambedkar knew that untouchability, casteism and caste system are the contribution of Buddhism. An article in this regard by Dr. Ambedkar was also published in the Bombay Chronicle Magazine on February 26, 1942. About 20 years after publishing his book Annihilation of Cast, On October 14, 1956, Dr. Ambedkar became a Buddhist. He died on December 6, 1956. Still, the fact that Dr. Ambedkar adopted Buddhism is beyond comprehension. He stated that he adopted Buddhism because this religion will not cause any harm to the culture and history of India. The culture of Buddhism and the culture of Hinduism are no different, they are both the same.

Currently in the USA, statues of Confederate leaders like Robert E. Lee have been removed. The names of some of the defense installations e.g. Fort Brag is now Fort Liberty. The Confederate flag from South Carolina assembly has been removed. In contrast the RSS/BJP government put statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Ambedkar in the USA. In doing so they are showing that they are proud of their castism / class system. This is part of making America a Saffron America. Inside the country they are celebrating the killers and outside they are putting the statues of Mahatma Gandhi because the rest of the world has been given the impression that he was a champion of nonviolence and a Mahatma (a great soul), what a paradox. They even invite members of Dalit community to unveil the statues of Dr. Ambedkar. I am asking myself what these people (Dalits) are celebrating their perpetual slavery. My appeal to Dalit brothers and people of conscious is to stop this symbol of perpetual slavery to continue and stop its spread to America. Many BJP state governments in India have made laws against religious conversion. We need to educate the American public and people of other free word.

Dr. Ambedkar trying to become a Sikh was not possible. Mr. Ambedkar was not looking for emancipation of the Dalits he was looking for a better bargain. He thought he got a better bargain from Gandhi, but he lost. He did not understand or read the sacrifices of 2 younger sons of the 10^th Guru. At the age of 7 and 9 they chose martyrdom instead of giving up their religion.

Mr. Nelson Mandela, as a college student, was chosen to be a union by students, however the authorities did not want to accept this. They asked him to resign, and they will nominate him as a student leader. He refused to do that. He even went to jail for many years finally he was able to free his country and was the first president. Dr. Ambedkar did not have the same mindset and determination. A book called Lone Survivor is the life of a special forces soldier of America fighting in Afghanistan. When he is going through intense training, his Sgt. tells him that the body can do anything, but you need to train your mind. Dr. Ambedkar’s mind was only looking for a better bargain not a victory. All his life he was fighting against the Brahmanical system; however, when his first wife died at the age of 57, he married a Brahman lady who was a 39- year-old physician. He was probably uplifting his status to be accepted by the upper class.

Mr. Churchill and Lord Wavel were very clear that Hindu leaders especially Mahatma Gandhi were interested only in establishing a Hindu Raj after the British left. Finally, Mahatma Gandhi with the help of Dr. Ambedkar succeeded in establishing a Hindu Raj.

References:

Round table conference, November 12, 1930, in Royal Gallery house of lords at London inaugurated by his Majesty George V

Poona pact 1932, BR Ambedkar and MK Gandhi

Bombay Chronicle magazine on 8 August 1936.

Annihilation of cast, B.R. Ambedkar, 1936

Bombay Chronicle magazine on February 26, 1942.

Wavell: The Viceroy’s Journal, October 1973

India Defending the Jewel in the Crown, Winston Churchill, 1990

Long walk to freedom, Nelson Mandela November 30, 1994

Loan survivor, 2007

Saffron America, Pieter Friedrich